


Human Shield

by Wispie



Series: All The Things We Know And Feel [4]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluffy Ending, M/M, Nightmares, Protective Erik Lehnsherr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:47:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27185401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wispie/pseuds/Wispie
Summary: Erik wakes from a nightmare about a mission where Charles was used as a human shield.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Series: All The Things We Know And Feel [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981823
Comments: 3
Kudos: 70
Collections: Cuteyyuki's cherik





	Human Shield

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt list: https://whumptober2020.tumblr.com/post/187356400823/october-approaches-and-so-does-whumptober-2019
> 
> No. 4: Human shield

_ It was a recruitment mission gone wrong. They’d known these mutants were secluded, but not the full extent of the anger they harbored towards society. And they certainly hadn’t known about the telepath, who’d somehow been able to make himself completely undetectable from Cerebro.  _

_ In the midst of fighting, Erik barely noticed Charles’ mysterious disappearance. He’d called out something along the lines of “Going to get him” before Erik had to focus on the mutant currently lobbing massive orbs of electrical energy at him. It crossed his mind that allowing Charles to go off on his own was a poor decision, but he didn’t have time nor energy to entertain the thought past simple acknowledgment. Erik rolled out of the way of another electrical blast and threw a nearby scrap car in its path to absorb the charge. This fight was already going on too long, all the metal and electricity colliding caused an acrid burning smell to hang in the air. And where was Charles? Shouldn’t he be back by now? What about that other mutant, didn’t there use to be two of them?  _

_ “Erik Lehnsherr?” The fighting ground to a halt as Erik and the electricity-bending mutant turned to face the speaker. “I believe I have something of yours.”  _

_ What Erik saw shook him to his core. Charles, held upright by the back of his shirt, blood dripping from his nose and a cut on his cheek, behind which a purple-red bruise began to form. He looked crumpled, slouching and clutching his chest. He was favoring one leg and the other trailed behind him. He could barely stand. That was all it took to make Erik feel utterly eviscerated. This was Charles, his love, his life, hurt and broken. That simply would not do. There were not words to describe how horrid it was to see Charles hurt. It couldn’t be right, Erik was supposed to protect him. So if that was true, why was he bleeding? Why was he broken? Because Erik had failed him.  _

_ Erik forced himself to keep a calm and cool expression, to not let a single glimpse of his despair leak through. If he shielded his mind, if he played his cards just right, then there was a chance they could both escape with their lives. He tried not to think about the alternative, it didn’t bear thinking about. _

_ “What do you want?” Erik asked firmly, carefully keeping his growing rage from seeping into his tone.  _

_ “For you to leave us alone,” the crazed telepath responded.  _

_ “Good. If you let him go, we will leave, I assure you. But if you hurt him, I will not rest until you are disposed of in the most painful manner possible.”  _

_ He simply smiled a disquietingly eerie grin that made something in Erik cower and squirm. “You didn’t let me finish. I want you to leave us alone— forever— and I want to be sure of it. So I am going to have to kill you.”  _

_ Erik allowed rage to boil inside him, it would help in the coming fight. His gaze darkened and narrowed on the man holding Charles like a crumpled doll.  _

_ “Erik-” Charles gasped. _

_ “WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT STAYING QUIET?” The telepath bellowed. Charles’ eyes widened as he struggled to control his gut-wrenchingly evident fear. Something was bubbling up in Erik, a cry, a sob, a rage-induced yell. He knew not what it was, but something in him threatened to boil and explode upon seeing Charles so shaken and powerless.  _

_ But Charles simply looked at him, intently, determinedly.  _

**_Do not fight. Please._ ** _ Charles whispered in his mind.  _

**_He will kill you._ **

**_Leave, Erik, please. Leave. Now._ **

**_No._ **

_ The telepath cocked his head to the side as if trying to hear something far away.  _

_ “I’m sorry, are you having a conversation without me?” That monstrous grin grew wider somehow.  _

_ “You let him go and we leave in peace,” Erik demanded _ _ — _ _ as if negotiation was still an option.  _

_ “Funny,” the telepath’s eyes flared, “I don’t believe you.”  _

_ Erik let out a guttural cry as Charles was thrown through the air and crumpled to the ground in a motionless heap. A pool of blood swelled beneath him. Erik’s heart splintered into pieces.  _

\-- 

Erik awoke with a start, launching himself upright, breathless and shaky, heart pounding just as heavily as it had when that dream had been a reality. Dream. It was only a dream, only a memory of healed wounds and long-past sorrow. 

“Erik?” It was quiet and gravely and tinged with worry. Erik snapped to face him. Charles.  _ Charles _ . Alive and well, beautiful features etched with concern. 

“Charles.” Even Erik was surprised by how desperate he sounded. His mind was still processing the difference between dream and reality, but he understood Charles. Whether he was awake or not, he would always need him. 

“What happened?” Charles was sitting up now, too, and Erik regretted having disturbed him. 

“Nightmare.” He murmured, unconsciously leaning in. 

“What about?” Erik hesitated. Considering. “If you don’t want to-”

He reached for Charles’ hand and placed it on his temple. Charles understood, closing his eyes. He was careful not to reach too far, treading lightly until he found what he was looking for. Then he grimaced, feeling everything Erik had. 

“I’m so sorry,” Charles breathed, barely a whisper. Erik felt tears prickling in the corners of his eyes, and shame at that. But Charles didn’t appear to care at all. Instead, he put an arm on Erik’s shoulder. He couldn’t hold back anymore. Erik reached out and held Charles in his arms, cradling him, warm and solid, real and alive. He let out a strangled sob, from despair that Charles understood more intimately than anyone else could. He’d thought Charles was dead, that day, a thought he’d had far too often in the few years they’d known each other. He’d hoped never to feel that again, but his mind had for some reason seen fit to make him relive his worst moments just when he thought he was free of them. 

“I’m here,” Charles whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.” They both knew that wasn’t a promise, that it couldn’t be, but Erik didn’t have the energy to care. He was exhausted and distraught and all he wanted to do was lie back down with Charles in his arms. So that’s what he did. 

They were lying beside one another now, bodies pressed close, fitting like puzzle pieces. Erik buried his face in the space between Charles’ shoulder and neck. He felt the warmth of his skin, smelled the traces of his cologne, and beneath that, Charles himself. 

“I’m here,” Charles whispered again, “I love you.” Erik let out a shuddering breath. The future be damned, Charles  _ was _ here now and he  _ did _ love him. That was enough. 

“I love you, too,” Erik whispered back, allowing himself to return to sleep with Charles safe in his arms. 


End file.
